The Changing Arena of Latin Jazz

Trumpet - When a lot of people think of Latin Jazz, a salsa dance party comes up, with hot dance rhythms charging behind jazz harmonies and improvised solos. This is certainly looking after with this style - musicians like Tito Puente, Mongo Santamaria, Cal Tjader, and Ray Barretto have gotten people on the dance floor for years with jazz and Cuban rhythms.

Dance rhythms certainly hold a place in modern Latin Jazz, but a growing quantity of artists have abandoned the party area for several cultural and artistic influences. These days, many Latin Jazz musicians integrate rhythmic traditions from the broader spectrum of the Caribbean and South America, often blending cultural elements with modern jazz influences.

Jazz - Traditional Afro-Peruvian rhythms have played most within the expansion of Latin Jazz, bringing rhythmic styles like the festejo and landó into the style as well an even more guitar heavy approach. Guitarist Richie Zellon has combined these traditions with jazz harmonies extensively while trumpet player Gabriel Alegria has evolved a distinctive approach with his Afro-Peruvian Sextet.

While stateside Latin Jazz always carried a Puerto Rican influence, it's only recently been that artists have put a distinct emphasis upon the thought of traditional rhythms like bomba and plena supporting jazz contexts. Trombonist Papo Vazquez has utilized his ferocious command of bebop over Puerto Rican rhythms while saxophonist Miguel Zenón has dived deep into plena and classic Puerto Rican songs as a foundation for jazz.

Argentina happens to be noted for it's passionate tango, and many musicians have found that this music is a natural fit for jazz. Bassist Pablo Aslan has built a distinct language for improvising around tango structures while pianist Pablo Ziegler continues the task of influential composer Astor Piazzolla with a distinct jazz twist.

Listeners often think about the lush bossa novas of Antonio Carlos Jobim after they think about the blend of Brazilian rhythms and jazz, however the style has grown into something a lot more dynamic. Pianist Jovino Santos Neto has built upon his long tenure with composer Hermeto Pascoal and developed a highly creative repertoire of original Brazilian jazz while drummer Duduka Da Fonseca has blended the liberty behind a fresh York jazz sensibility with dynamic samba rhythms.

Carnegie Hall - The dance floor is certainly still a part of Latin Jazz - just hear the music of Poncho Sanchez or Pete Escovedo to get a healthy dose of danceable jazz. The design has certainly expanded artistically, reflecting a more encompassing spectrum of Latin traditions and providing listeners a more diverse experience.